WORK ON THE A4 MOTORWAY (AUTOROUTE DE L'EST), SECTION FROM NOISY-LE-GRAND TO MEAUX - PART 2

THE EARTHWORKS ON THE SECTION OF THE A4 MOTORWAY BETWEEN NOISY-LE-GRAND AND MEAUX STARTED IN JULY 1974, FOLLOWING THE HANDING OVER OF THE NECESSARY TERRAIN TO THE CONTRACTOR AND THE CARRYING OUT OF THE PRELIMINARY WORK (SETTING OUT, TEMPORARY DRAINAGE, FILL ON COMPRESSIBLE SOIL, FOUNDATIONS OF VIADUCT). THE BAD WEATHER OF THE AUTUMN OF 1974 HAD A VERY BAD EFFECT ON THE WORK PROGRAMME; NEVERTHELESS, THE WORK ON THE PAVEMENTS STARTED IN JULY 1975. THE PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION IS OF THE RIGID TYPE (CONCRETE SLABS ON STABILIZED GRAVEL ROADBASE). THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PAVEMENTS AND EXPLAINS HOW THE INCREASE IN THE COST OF BITUMEN AND THE DIFFICULTIES IN SUPPLYING THE MATERIAL FOR THE PAVEMENTS LED TO A CHANGE IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE PAVEMENT INITIALLY PLANNED AS SEMI-RIGID (BITUMINOUS CONSTRUCTION ON STABILIZED GRAVEL). THE OPENING OF THE SECTION CROSSING THE GRAND-MORIN, WHICH FORMS A DIVERSION OF THE ROUTE NATIONALE 36, WAS PLANNED FOR THE BEGINNING OF 1976. THE COMPLETE MOTORWAY WAS TO HAVE BEEN OPENED TO TRAFFIC AT THE END OF 1976. IN CONCLUSION, THIS PAPER OUTLINES THE LESSONS TO BE DRAWN FROM THIS PROJECT, BUILT TO STRICT TIME SCHEDULES AND SUBJECTED TO MAJOR DIFFICULTIES OF LAND ACQUISITION, TECHNICAL, GEOTECHNICAL AND CLIMATIC NATURE.